Dairy-Free Egg Nog

Yes, you read that right: it is egg nog that is dairy-free. And a darn tasty one, too.

You see, I didn’t get any egg nog last year, and I missed it. I love the stuff, and have to force myself not to overindulge. Well, then it’s a good thing you didn’t drink any, Jan, you might say – and you’d be right.

But it’s egg nog, y’all.

So this year, I became determined to make my own health(ier) version of everyone’s favorite holiday beverage. I’ve read countless egg nog recipes – traditional, sugar free, dairy free, even vegan (yeah, that kind of stumps me, too) – but it’s been a sacrifice I’m willing to make so I can bring you what is a simply delicious treat that you would never guess is dairy free.

In the end, I decided to adapt the recipe found in my 1975 edition of The Joy Of Cooking. Now, there are some caveats – the recipe is for one serving and includes up to 1/4 cup of alcohol. For most of my life I’ve been an egg nog purist, and to this day, while I don’t necessarily object to a touch of brandy in my nog, prefer the taste of it unadulterated. I also had to replace the heavy cream in the recipe, then multiply it since I simply could not see making this one serving at a time (especially the way Beloved ended up drinking the stuff).

I should also mention that this egg nog is not cooked – most of the recipes on the internet are, in an effort to decrease the risk of salmonella. Indeed, if you are using battery-raised eggs from the grocery store, you probably should make a custard of the milks, sugar and eggs but be aware that no matter how carefully you temper your eggs with the hot mixture, you WILL have to strain small bits of cooked egg out of the mixture by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve. However, I’ve been eating our pastured eggs raw in various dishes/preparations for over a year now, and we have not had one instance of any food-borne illness in our household, so I was completely confident that we wouldn’t suffer any ill effects if I used raw eggs in this.

And I was correct. So, grab your farm-fresh eggs and whip up a batch of this. You will love it – the taste is far superior to anything you can buy at a grocery store.

Note: Since the egg whites are whipped, which keeps the egg nog from being heavy and cloying the way commercial egg nogs often are, it will “separate” – the egg whites will rise above the yolk mixture – while it rests in the refrigerator. Simply whisk, stir or shake the egg nog and it will blend back together beautifully. Also, I’ve made this twice – once with evaporated cane juice and once with coconut sugar, and the version with the evaporated cane juice was better. Coconut sugar isn’t as sweet as evaporated cane juice, so if you want it sweeter you might want to consider a few drops of liquid stevia in the recipe. Finally, this is not a bright yellow egg nog like those you can purchase at a store – it’s more a rich, golden color due to the pastured egg yolks and the color of the sugar you choose to use.

Note #2: I’d never used almond milk before, and don’t intend to make a habit of it, but please try to use a brand that has as few added ingredients as you possibly can, and make sure it is unsweetened.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and creamy. Add the almond milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk until the mixture is smooth; stir in the vanilla.

Gently whisk the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture until the egg nog is smooth and light. Cover tightly and refrigerate until very cold, preferably over night.

Whisk the egg nog and pour into two clean 2-quart jars. Shake before serving and top each glass with a little freshly grated nutmeg.

Yum! My mom is Panamanian, and for some reason we have an amazing recipe handed down to us from her side of the family – a viscous custard that, apparently women who were menstruating couldn’t stir or it would curdle (gotta love that one!) My mom figured out how to make it in the microwave, because she is lazy and we make 2 quarts at a time (and don’t cut it with booze).

Regardless, I will pass this along to her. I think she can trust her eggs, too. She and my dad have gone Primal for the past few years, and it’s helped everyone out! (My dad does Crossfit at 69!)

The sugar substitute would work, but I don’t know about omitting the coconut milk, which is considerably richer than almond milk – it helps give the egg nog it’s creaminess. At any rate, you really can’t really taste the coconut; my youngest son also dislikes coconut and he loves this egg nog.

Another little question. You said to put it in two 2-quart jars. Is that because it should make half a gallon or to leave room for shaking? My half recipe filled one 1-quart mason jar, plus a bit more i left in a small cup to try first :).